Turtles Make a Break for Freedom from Georgia Farm

You’d think that, out of all the different kinds of livestock, turtles would be the easiest to keep penned in. And yet, some 1,600 turtles recently fled a Georgia farm. Granted, it was probably a very slow break for freedom.

According to turtle grower David Driver, someone removed scrap metal fencing from around his breeding ponds, which allowed many of his common snappers, Eastern paints and yellow-bellied sliders to escape. Although Driver isn’t exactly sure who’s to blame, he thinks vandals or thieves are responsible.

This could have a severe impact on Driver’s business, since he cultivates eggs laid around the ponds, then sells them to pet growers in Florida and companies in China, where they’re eaten as a delicacy.

Police are currently investigating the crime and will be visiting local scrapyards to see if anyone has sold the fencing for a quick profit. In the meantime, they’ve jokingly warned the public about gangs of wild turtle thugs lurking in ponds and creeks.